To get back to regular blogging, I am going to start reporting my progress climbing. Yes, I have adopted the standard web 2.0 hipster activity as my own. Two weeks ago I took a course at Allez-Up, last week I went back to get accredited, and since then have been three times, trying to make it out there 2 to 3 times a week.

Before my most recent sojourn, I had completed a 5.5, and with encouragement from my regular climbing partner Julien Smith managed to finish one 5.6 and got halfway up another.

Note: everyone should have a partner like Julien; awesome guy as a friend, coach, and internet rock star.

While I am moving on to 5.6s (and many people say that climbs at Allez-Up are rated one level lower then they would be elsewhere), there were a couple of 5.5s that I hadn’t tackled but looked really fun.

The first was a doozy:

There are a few areas I need to work on as a climber, and this wall hit that all.
In summary I need to:

• Develop my arm strength to maintain grip while I swing legs over.
• Trust the wall and use it as leverage for my feet on occasion.
• Go for foot and toe placements that are less “secure” then a flat rest.
• Stop being a pussy!

First time, I totally wussed out when I reached the overhang. Second time, after seeing Julien go for it and fail, I did the same myself, trusting the rope. Third time, figured out the foot placement that Julien was using and succeeded to make it to the next overhang (is that the right term)? My final attempt had me placing my hands on the final hang, but by that point my arms gave out when I tried to lift myself over.

The second 5.5 was MUCH easier:

It was a straight run up, with only a bit of difficulty to get around the overhang. I had to ask for a “take” to do so, but in the end, reached the top. Next time, I am going to try to make it without stopping.

One note; bouldering is fucking hard!

Seriously, I can’t even get started! Any advice?

photo courtesy of Atanas Entchev licensed via Creative Commons BY-NC

In and around sorting the medical drama that has resulted from Casey taking a punch to the face (more on that later) I had an opportunity to sit down with my friend and former personal trainer Dino Masson. Dino was half the formula that made my last fitness kick a success, where I went from 215 lbs down to 175lbs. He tailored fun workouts, provided ample encouragement, was a confident, and just a great person.

Want an idea of how awesome he is? When I called him for medical advice on Casey’s condition right after the assault, not only did he give wise instructions but also said to call him the next day to provide an update, and even offered to come over and give a physical checkup. And he lived half-an-hour away.

I don’t know if he is taken ladies, so have at him.

Anyway, mid last year he landed an awesome job that takes him around the world so we had to end our sessions together. But he was in Montreal for the holidays and offered to put together a new program with me. When I asked if I could share it online, he was all for it. So here we go.

It’s a 3-day a week workout, with the same muscles exercised each day BUT with radically different goals.

Day 1
The goal is to build strength. Many sets, but with a small number of reps and heavier weight. A 1 minute rest between each set, and a 1.5 minute rest between exercises.

1. Bench Press 5 sets x 5 Reps
2. Squat 5 sets x 5 Reps
3. Chin-ups 5 sets x Max (I aiming for 3 … go me!) & 2-3 negatives.
4. Leg Curl 5 sets x 5 reps

Day 2
After a day’s rest, the next set works more for tone and targets specific muscles, as well as broken into supersets.

1. Superset 1 - 4 sets x 10-12 reps
   1. Dumbbell Press
   2. Close gripped Seated Row
2. Superset 2 – 3 sets x 10-12 reps
   1. Dumbbell Step-ups
   2. Leg Curl on Swiss ball
3. Superset 3 – 3 sets x 10-12 reps
   1. Dumbbell Seated Press
   2. Barbell Curl
4. Superset 4 – 3 sets x 10-12 reps
   1. Close grip Bench Press
   2. Crunches on Bench + Weight

Day 3
Finally, the 3rd day is plyometrikineticalsomethingsomething … well its about working movements. Much larger super-sets

1. Superset 1 – 3 sets x 10-15 reps
   1. Jump Squats
   2. Chin-ups with feet on floor
   3. Push-ups
2. Superset 2 – 3 sets x 10-15 reps
   1. Leg Press
   2. Dumbbell Push Press
   3. Dumbbell Curl
   4. Dips feet on Bench

Abs
Finally, my daily abs routine, taken from the Abs Diet.

1. ½ Crunches + weight
2. Leg raises
3. Side obliques + weight
4. Bridge
5. Superman

Whew! I am jazzed to start this today (after a goodnight’s rest). I would also be curious to see if anyone would wants to follow along and compare results.

photo courtesy of Gary Arndt under Creative Commons License BY-NC-SA

So following yesterday’s events, and a thread that has been running in my head for awhile I have decided to take up a martial art. Which one?

Now, I know that followers of martial arts can be quite fanatical about which styles are better then others, the history behind one or other, or why such and such a style is a joke. And I am going to sum it all up and say: SHUT IT!

My goals are simple:

• The martial art becomes part of my fitness program.
• The class is easy to get to and fits in my schedule.
• The course is not too expensive.
• The style is practical if I need to use it.

I do not care about history, school politics, or why this style is less real then another.

Which was why my first choice was Keysi Fighting Method, a tight fast fighting system of smashing past your opponents blocks to deliver a hard brutal hit. None of which matters half as much as it being the fighting style of Christian Bale’s Batman in the new movies. Fanboy art I. Sadly, no school has opened up in Canada or even the USA.

Real-life mentat Chris Penn suggested Budo Montreal. It looked promising, and again, geek-dar pinged at seeing the word ninjitsu. With a free session to try it out I would have gone, except it is too far out of my way. One thing I have learned about working out is that unless the gym/course is located along a frequently traveled path, you will finding plenty of excuses to skip it.

I looked into an old course I use to follow called Senshido, which was heavily focused on street fighting. Not too much out of my way BUT at 124 a month VERY pricey, and I don’t really have fond memories of it. The place was a dive (unbelievable given the costs), and while the lead instructor knew what he was talking about, I did not feel the same about half of his instructors.

So I looked to Concordia University, which is right down the street from me, between work and where I live. I am already registered at the gym, as its where I am doing my weight-training. And they have a weekend course in Jeet Kune Do, created by Bruce Lee, at $40 for 3 months!!!

Which means we have a winner! Wish me luck, or laugh at my choice in the comments!

It seems that at some point every online personality goes vegan. I did it last year though it was not a decision I made lightly; the thought was running in my mind for a few months as a solution to my ballooning weight, having gained 20lbs in a year. Only thing stopping me were my friends and family laughing at the idea that carnivorous Rudy Jahchan could survive a week going vegan.

But then I was lucky to have the brilliant, vegan, (and sexy) Sean Bonner visit us. With his encouragement, inspirational links he provided on others who had done it, and his accompaniment on a grocery shopping makeover experience, I was on my way.

I didn’t document my experience like Vu Bui is doing (slap my own wrist) but I can tell you what worked.

1. Weight Loss – Over the 4 months I was vegan, I lost over 15lbs, without hitting the gym. And I know why it worked for me. Veganism forced me to know exactly what I was eating, preventing me from the excuses I usually make ( “Of course I can have a Wendy’s quadruple; beef and cheese are protein.”)
2. Shopping & Eating out classy – Living in a metropolitan city like Montreal is a blessing for food choices. At the grocery store there is a rack of tofu options, with local success Commensal providing a wealth of ready made meals. And I lurve Yves tofu-dogs and other options. Likewise, Montreal’s many restaurants have vegan options, and I highly recommend Chu-Chai for a complete vegan menu that even non-vegans will enjoy. And thank Zod for asian foods; I did not have to abandon my favorite restaurant Le Taj.
3. Being honest why you are doing it – Like in my case, it was purely for (again) weight loss. I didn’t do in protest of the meat or dairy industries, or to help the environment. Closest cause I had was acting a bit of a futurist and live more plant based as I do think green-lifestyles will be something we all adopt.

Most importantly, I did not crack once during that entire time, something former vegan fans could not even claim!

So why did I stop? Well …

1. Don’t Go It Alone – At least not if you’re living intimately with somebody. My partner was very supportive at first. But meal planning became difficult, as my taste palette was wider then hers. The crisis point though was that she hated when I made a “bad” food choice. Not “bad” as in breaking veganism but bad as in …
2. Vegan doesn’t mean Healthy/Eating out sloppy – Due to time or trying to please my partner I would grab some fast food at McDonald’s … and discover the only choice for me were the fries. And no matter how you spin it, that is not a good choice. But I would eat it, making the same excuses like I use to (“Well it IS vegan …”) This introduced stress nutritionally and into my relationship (on top of the many other stresses that were already there).
3. Too much weight loss – I was happy when I hit 185lbs. Ecstatic when I hit 180lbs. And proud when I crossed back into 170s. Then started getting really worried at 172lbs. At 6 foot 1 inch I only have so much mass to lose. Granted, a personal crisis during that time period didn’t help. But the same way I (personally) needed a big change to stop the weight gain I needed another change to focus on the next step: maintaining and toning up.

So what am I doing now? Eating more balanced, frequent, smaller meals. In the last month (and through the Holidays no less!) I have maintained my weight in the range of 173 to 175 lbs. I’ve gone back to the gym and regularly swimming. And when the option exists, choose the lighter vegan choice.

Should you go vegan? That’s for you to decide. But I do encourage you to try it out, and don’t take the fact that I stopped to mean it doesn’t work or can’t be done.